Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:38:35 -0500
From: Jade
Subject: Gay/High School : If You Could Read My Mind 3
This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblances to any person, place, or
written works are purely coincidental. It may contain consensual sex
between young men. Do not read if you find that objectionable or if it is
illegal for you to view this content for whatever the reason.
Copyright 2010 Jade, All Rights Reserved. Permission to post
electronically is given to www.nifty.org and its affiliated mirror sites
only. Otherwise do not post, copy, or use this story in any manner without
my permission.
Always love to hear from you, please let me know what you think @:
phantomscorpio77@gmail.com.
>>).:.(<<
If You Could Read My Mind
On the morning of his second day of school Bailey finds himself eager to
get to school, even if he and Brooke have half an hour of remedial math
before classes all month to get up to speed for the next semester. Usually
the one being waited on, today he's watching the morning news on T.V. while
waiting for Megan and his sisters.
Seeing Bethany off at her elementary school along the way Bailey barely
pauses. Brooke and Megan exchange exasperated looks at Bailey's eagerness
to get to school as he daydreams about making friends. He hopes the group
from his English class are as approachable today as they seemed yesterday.
Better yet, he hopes Neville is more approachable today. Entering the
school and heading to his locker he scans the halls for Neville.
Taking his coat off at his locker he worries he dressed too loud. His
Buffalo jeans today are relaxed fit rather than the slim Mavi jeans
yesterday. He worries that maybe his polo is a little too tight, and just
what was he thinking wearing red? Looking around him, if any other guy had
a Lacoste shirt it would probably have a stain on it or rips from some
sporting mishap, and be paired with tear-aways or jogging pants. Maybe he
should have gone with his old Nikes too rather than his Firefly skater
shoes. Everyone else seems to be wearing baggy B.U.M. Equipment jeans and
generic-logo t-shirts or sweatshirts from Walmart, and snow boots.
He looks around, none of the other boys there at the early hour are wearing
jewelry either. Trying not to be too obvious he removes his chunky
necklace of metallic black, silver and green beads and hangs it from a hook
in his locker. Likewise he pops off his thumb ring and hangs it from the
same hook. His watch isn't flashy, just a basic Roots watch from The Bay,
a national chain of department stores. He even went with the more youthful
Polo Sport today rather than his usual Kenneth Cole Reaction.
Also deciding against putting up the magnetic mirror in his locker, Bailey
is reaching panic level when Megan jabs him in the lower back to get his
attention. He decides he'll just have to wait and see what the day holds.
He dressed up today, stupidly trying to look good. Neville is definitely
part of the reason. Now he's kicking himself because Neville's probably
going to tell him he dresses or smells like a girl again today. Butch.
Tomorrow he'll do butch. He won't drop down to fashion victim level like
the few boys in sight, but he'll defiantly tone it down tomorrow.
Half an hour later, leaving remedial math he practically bowls Megan over
at the door as she stops to let someone else in front of her go. He's
thinking about Neville again. Neville didn't quite fit in yesterday. He
didn't have that ignorance is bliss thing going on like everyone else seems
to. Knowing he'll recognize Neville right away if he spots him, Bailey
pushes Megan out into the hall in hopes of spotting HIM.
In English class everyone has to count themselves off, from 1 to 5.
Bailey's put into a group with two other classmates that were also 3's.
Neither of the girls are part of the friendly group from yesterday, but are
nice enough and seem to relish getting to pump the new kid for information
before everyone else can. Bailey keeps things simple, stating that he and
his family moved from Moncton to sink their roots in the more community
driven lifestyle in Charlottetown.
He's careful to say that Megan is part of the family, and to avoid drawing
any attention to anything that can be linked to him being the young
offender that nearly got charged for putting Visine in a dozen people's
bacon and eggs. He'd love to explain to just one person that his intent
was a metaphor; that putting eye drops in people's food was meant to open
their eyes to their homophobia. Instead no one would listen to his
reasoning when it was discovered that twelve people's diarrhea and violent
vomiting was his revenge. Alas, these girls don't know his transgression;
his record luckily was kept clean by an indifferent judge, so he's not
going to share any of it.
From this point on his week is pretty routine. He does get acquainted with
the group by his locker that are also in his English class, although he
remains on guard and doesn't reveal much of himself to them. He's new;
he's the flavour of the week. He can't wait until he's yesterday's news.
He continues to scan the halls for Neville each day, every opportunity he
gets, and manages to memorize his clothing every day.
Wednesday's layered black t-shirt over a white long-sleeve Henley, tan
khakis and nondescript brown casual shoes are Bailey's favourite of the
week. Those pants are fitted properly to Neville, and Bailey got a few
great profiles of Neville's basket in them. He definitely likes what he
sees there, deciding that Neville normally sports about as much soft as he
can manage when hard. Then again, the right pair of pants can make
anyone's package look desirable. Bailey also takes a mental picture of the
one guy in the halls he sees actually acknowledge Neville's existence.
For his part, Neville is unsure how to handle Bailey and it's disturbs him
because he never sits on the fence with people. He always acts quickly and
with a clear decisiveness. Bailey phases him though. He's sure Bailey is
a complication he doesn't want or need in his life, but the constant
erections he gets over him complicate his thoughts. Bailey sure is no Josh
Wharton, but as hot as Josh is, Bailey is equally as cute. Neville finds
it impossible to totally blow Bailey off.
As the week progresses so does Bailey's obsession. If only he could manage
to strike up a real conversation with Neville. Other than the brief
exchange Monday, Thursday is the only day he gets more than short replies
or shrugs out of Neville.
While the two conduct an experiment at their desk Bailey opens a
conversation, "So, I noticed you don't say much there Neville. I'll even
bet you're going to answer with either `nope' or a shrug."
"Well, I was gonna go with `nope, sure don't.' So you're wrong," Neville
says and turns the page in his notebook for added emphasis.
"Why? You've been here since the start of grade ten, but don't seem to fit
the model. Unless Mr. McIntyre asks you by name to answer a question, you
keep to yourself."
"Looks like you've done your homework, come to the right conclusion. Go
with that."
Bailey has no clue just what that means, "What?"
"And here I thought you were half smart, it's not like you're copying my
answers for this lab. Clearly you've asked around and tried to figure me
out. The answer's right in front of you and you can't see it."
Bailey lets things slide until the end of the class, "Hey, want to get
together and write this thing up? We could..."
Neville cuts him off, "Not really. Hand your own report in."
Friday Bailey tries a different tactic, only offering a general
acknowledgement to Neville as he sits down, "Hey."
In response Neville nods back. That's Bailey's only attempt to speak to
Neville for the whole class as Mr. McIntyre collects the lab reports and
then proceeds to explain the theory behind yesterday's experiment. Even
when his and Neville's results and conclusions are confirmed, Bailey
restrains himself from any sort of celebratory action towards Neville.
Not expecting Bailey to have given up so easily, Neville spends most of the
class wondering in anticipation when Bailey is going to try and spark a
conversation or even look his way. By the time the bell rings, signaling
the end of the class Neville is deeply disappointed that he's pushed Bailey
away, and that Bailey allowed himself to be pushed away so easily. He's
hurt because something sparked Bailey enough to ask around and get some
info on him. That shows effort on Bailey's part.
Neville sees that Bailey was looking for a friendship, or at least non
adversarial working conditions with him in class. Success in getting
Bailey to respect his desire to be left alone doesn't bring the usual
relief with it. Instead it brings a little hurt, some anger, and
confusion. He really would like to be friends with Bailey, but he holds to
the thought that things are better this way. He can't let anyone in. If
he does, the whole ball of yarn will unravel; his house of cards will
collapse.
>>).:.(<<
Josh hurries to English class before his friend Aaron gets there so that he
can talk to Neville, who he knows will be the first one in class like
usual.
Neville feels a hand clasp over his shoulder and turns to look Josh in the
eyes.
"You didn't see me on Monday, you bailed on me yesterday. Stop by my
locker before you leave today, please? I've got something for you. Just
trust me Nev. We used to be friends. I'm not out to get you," Josh says.
Neville nods agreement. He's afraid to speak because he fears his voice
could reveal the excitement he feels having such simple contact with Josh.
But Josh isn't his bigger worry at the moment. Now because of Megan beside
him in his English class Neville has lost the best thing to happen to him
in ages. He can't beg food off of someone he sits next to in school.
Having avoided the diner all week, the worry of food washes over him as
Megan sits beside him for the fifth straight day. He really needed an
affordable place to eat, he really needed that diner. He thoughts stray as
he also thinks the school board needs to recognize that there are a lot of
underprivileged kids in the school that don't all see proper food daily,
let alone three square meals a day. There needs to be a meal program, an
affordable meal program.
Lack of focus is a side effect of his hard living. Fortunately it doesn't
often show in school as he's always up to speed with the lessons. Reading
text books over and over, doing practice questions and quizzes again and
again to kill the spare time every evening and weekend has that small
benefit. His grades soar in school, but his mind constantly wanders.
A hunger pain brings Neville back to his surroundings. Mrs. MacLeod is
talking to Megan beside him before class, "Good for you Ms. Flannigan.
Never mind what they say, you've picked the brightest mind in the classroom
by far to sit beside. Neville here never ceases to amaze with his capacity
for understanding."
Neville blushes and looks away again. He appreciates Mrs. MacLeod's kind
words, but kind words won't fill his stomach.
`Why? Why did she have to be in my class? Why did she have to sit beside
me? There were tons of open desks when she walked in on Monday,' Neville
sulks to himself, `And I was going to eat there again. I've got enough
money scraped up for a few meals there now. I was even going to make sure
to leave both Brooke and Megan more than a penny tip each time!
Speaking of filling, I wouldn't mind that Bailey from last class filling my
arms or bed. I can't put my finger on just how, but I'd bet my life that
he's gay too. They must be brother and sister. I guess I could find out
if I said more than five words to either of them at a time. Yeah, her
pancakes in my belly, her brother in my arms. I guess I'm just going for
all the deadly sins this week! Oh well. She's easier to talk to, I don't
trip over my thoughts with her. Maybe if I loosely make friends with her I
can get to him.
Oh damn, Mrs. MacLeod's still going on. Megan doesn't need to know I can
read fluff books at almost 100 pages an hour and retain mostly everything,
or that I can kill an entire book in one evening. How embarrassing!'
>>).:.(<<
A little over a year earlier Neville is in Mrs. MacLeod's grade 10 English
class, half of an afternoon he shares sitting beside Josh Wharton.
Neville's a born reader, it's something he's both good at and loves to do.
His favourite book to date is Harry Potter, despite it supposedly being a
kids book. In fact, he chose his new name based on a character he likes in
the book. Having lost his copy of the first book that he read and read
again, but never having gotten the second or third books in the series, one
afternoon he spots the series on a shelf off to the side of Mrs. MacLeod's
desk.
Three days later the urge to grab the second book in the series is too
great. After lunch, beating everyone including his teacher into the
classroom, Neville slips Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets off the
shelf and into his back pack. Happy to have something to read again,
especially familiar characters, puts Neville over the moon. For the
afternoon he forgets himself and participates actively in his classes.
Once Neville is safe in his hidden home he tears through the book,
finishing it in hours without leaving a mark or cracking the spine. His
belly goes hungry for the night but his mind is full. Come morning the
decision to forgo scrounging for dinner comes back on him and his stomach
voices it's emptiness all day. He breaks down in his second morning class,
science, and asks to go to the washroom. Fact is; his stomach is bothering
him badly.
Close to the gymnasium he sneaks into the locker room and starts checking
for wallets. In the third gym bag he hits pay dirt. Being the boy nobody
sees works to his advantage, and minutes later he is back in class with 30
dollars. That's the most he's allowed himself to steal in a long time, but
he's at a point he'd like a little savings to bridge gaps between funds so
that he always can get at least something to fill his stomach.
Guilt always weighs on him, but hunger always trumps it. Neville hardly
recognizes the face that looks him back in the mirror as it is, having lost
so much weight, so he doesn't waste time worrying about what that face in
the mirror thinks. He prays that he can someday atone for his thievery
with God, but too many days without food and that visit will be a whole lot
sooner than expected. He just hopes he that his hardships and the
possibility of dying of starvation knock a few years off the eternity he's
preparing to spend in Purgatory for being a thief and a homosexual.
Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory are all things Neville used to discuss often
with his heavily religious family. He's not yet able to clear up his
thoughts on where he fits, but he has a theory. If he is demon-spawn like
his parents surely must now consider him, he still hopes that God can look
past what he is and instead weigh Neville's unconditional love for him as
payment enough at least into Purgatory. Listening to his stomach groan
Neville thinks, `maybe someday love for God and compassion for fellow man
will be enough to admit me into his Kingdom of Heaven'.
After a frugal lunch that in fact is way overpriced Neville tries again to
sneak into English class first. Mrs. MacLeod is already there however and
he doesn't want to risk giving it to her and admitting he stole it. Same
thing happens the next day. The following Monday he finally gets a chance
to slip the still pristine book back on the shelf, accidentally knocking
over a few other books in the process.
With his heart rate pumping he runs out of the classroom and right into his
teacher as he tries to flee and pretend to return minutes later as if he'd
never been there.
"Neville Reilly, where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"Uh, book. I uh, forgot my book," he says, mentally kicking himself for
all but spelling out his guilt.
Mrs. MacLeod can detect a lie in her students mouths before they're even
fully formed. Everyone on faculty knows that Neville doesn't use a locker.
It's been discussed that the poor child doesn't have so much as a coat, let
alone winter boots to put away. Knowing everything Neville needs for class
is already in his back-pack she pretends to buy his line and gives him a
warm smile anyways, "Right then, hurry back, I think you're going to love
today's lesson. Listen earnestly like you always do and see if you catch
any subtlety that floats over the rest of the classes' collective mind."
Listen as he may, he never notices. He does notice when during her lesson
Mrs. MacLeod pointedly straightens out the book shelf.
Just over a week later the urge to borrow the third book proves too
tempting. Eager to get reading, Neville makes sure to buy a hotdog this
time and load it up with condiments at the concession stand before sneaking
into his hidey-home in the arena. Reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban makes him forget his hunger, but another morning like the one a few
weeks ago frightens him. Careful not to damage the book in any way, both
his hunger to read and his stomach find satisfaction this evening.
He doesn't get an opportunity to slip the book back in time the next day
and it's noted. In fact Mrs. MacLeod makes a blanket statement that she's
had books disappear, and won't pursue the issue as long as this one comes
back in the same condition as the last one. Neville gets the chance the
very next day to replace the book.
One day the following week another book has his eye. Reading is becoming
an obsession, even if it has always been a passion of Neville's. In the
cold place he calls home, reading a book takes his mind off his own life
for the time and sets his imagination loose for days to come. The very
next day Neville slips Stephen King's The Eyes of the Dragon back into its
spot on the shelf un-damaged.
Part way through the class Mrs. McLeod references the book in open
discussion, "Off topic class, but it seems like many of Steven King's books
are linked together. If you don't care for the reading material in the
class, surely some of you are a little curious about one of modern day's
most popular writers. Does anyone know what I'm referring to?"
No one speaks up.
"By show of hands, who's read a Stephen King novel?"
Most everyone in the class raises their hand so Neville does too.
"Well take The Eyes of the Dragon. The evil entity in it seems not only to
be present in other books as a big, bad un-named evil, but he actually in
the flesh, as it were, is in a host of books. Who knows who I'm referring
to?"
Brian O'Connor pipes up, "Yeah, it's like the thing inside Cujo is like
Pennywise from It or something. Like they both have Tommyknockers in
them."
"Not what I was after but on the right track. Anyone else care to venture
a try?"
This time no one answers.
"Josh?"
"Never read it ma'am," Josh answers.
"Neville, who's the antagonist in The Eyes of the Dragon?"
"Flagg," Neville offers before thinking. Had he thought it through he
would deny having ever read the book just like Josh beside him.
"Right, and in the end what happens to him?"
"Uh, Peter escapes The Needle and comes after him, but he escapes and
Thomas instead chases after him."
"Fascinating. Yes, precisely. Another protagonist from a different book
is after him too. The first words of The Dark Tower series start with
Roland chasing a man in black, being Randall Flagg. It too is about a
single day's read for some, a good week's read for others. Class, what
would you say if..."
As the class starts discussing Neville tunes out. For the moment he's more
worried that his teacher looked straight at him when she said the bit about
a day's read, and before when she said fascinating and emphasized it with a
wink.
Try as he might to avoid contributing, Mrs. MacLeod keeps coming back to
Neville to give the class insight into the Flagg character as he started in
The Eyes of the Dragon. Unbeknownst to Neville, each time is a test to see
what he picked up on a single read-through in a single evening.
The very next day as Neville walks past the bookshelf he sees a copy of
each of the first 4 volumes of The Dark Tower.
He thinks this surely is a trap; that somehow it's a trap to catch him
stealing. He has to resist stealing the first book because he's certain
Mrs. MacLeod baited him yesterday to see if he'll steal another book. Then
she'll probably call the police and have him kicked out of school. A few
days later when he walks by the bookshelf the first book in the series, The
Gunslinger, is missing. Neville's curiosity into this is piqued, but his
fear of being accused of stealing it equally spikes along with his
curiosity.
Mrs. MacLeod approaches Neville before many students file into the room and
requests he sit in a specific seat. Bile rises in his throat, he figures
she's planting him in a specific seat so the cops can come and get him and
will know exactly where he'll be. Nervously he sits in the seat she
suggests, even though she'd a firm non-believer in assigned seating.
Partway through class he discovers the missing book is in his desk with a
sticky-note reading, "Take your time Neville, enjoy! Mrs, M."
Looking up he realizes Mrs. MacLeod sees this, but he notes that she never
skips a beat in her class lesson. Heeding her advice, he does give himself
a few days to read and enjoy the book before slipping it back into its
place in the bookshelf, still in near perfect condition.
Come Christmas time Neville's read a number of books this way. On the last
day before Christmas break there is a new book in his desk. Only this one
is wrapped. He manages to fight the urge to open the book until Christmas
day. Well into the afternoon he finally unwraps a copy of The Golden
Compass to find it's personalized to him, "To Neville; you started with
Harry Potter and expanded your mind with Roland. Now try to wrap your mind
around Will and Lyra!"
Around the same time his friendship with Josh really starts to grow.
They've been school friends for a few months now, sitting beside each other
in three of their four classes each day. While Neville doesn't seem to
have any real friends that Josh can think of, Josh can't find anything
obviously wrong with him. With January finals coming Josh is well aware
that Neville's lowest mark of 94 percent in the three classes they share is
twenty points higher than his highest mark of 74. At first his thoughts
are to get Neville's help with studying for exams, but he doesn't want to
use Neville, and doesn't think Neville wants to be used. Still, it's worth
a shot.
Entering class one morning a week before exams he tries, "Hey Nev. Do you
want to hang out and study for finals with me? I mean I'm sure there's
nothing I can help you with, but it couldn't hurt."
Neville's uncertain about Josh. He's always nice enough, not like some of
the guys. Taking too long to answer, not able to come up with a reason not
to, he agrees, "O.K. But is has to be at your place, I'm not really
allowed to have people over."
Josh takes him at his word. He even struggles through exams without
exploiting Neville or asking him for help. It's not that he doesn't have
friends; Josh has many, as well as a good track record with girlfriends
too. There's just something relaxing he finds about Neville. No
pretensions, no pressure, no hiding that things are getting tougher and
tougher at home. While others in the classroom keep to themselves, Neville
however always looks up as Josh sits beside him and greets with a warm
smile.
Over the next number of months, well into the spring semester at school,
Neville spends a decent amount of time at Josh's house. He always does his
best to skirt the situation and evade questions about himself that may give
Josh a clue as to his homelessness. But Josh is both a little concerned
for his friend and always curious. Neville finds it harder and harder to
not answer Josh so he instead tries to avoid him as much as possible. The
fact that he has clearly picked up on the Wharton's financial woes when he
visits makes him regret having ever stolen from Josh in the past.
Neville's bigger problem with Josh is that he honestly thinks he's falling
in love with his friend. Josh can't be blind to it, he figures, and yet
seems to be. He tries hard not to act weird around Josh but the building
desire is near impossible to control. Even though he needs to distance
himself, he can't help but hinge on Josh's every word or covet his body
every time he sees him. Neville thinks Josh may just be perfect in every
way. His toned body, his impossibly small feet, his prominent phallus, his
smile, his vibrant blue eyes, his easygoing personality. >>).:.(<<
While lost in happy thoughts of Josh, Neville's stomach groans. That was
then, this is now. What's done is done. But still, the only thing that
has changed from a year ago is that Neville has perfected a system of
stealing just enough to tend to his basic needs.
When his stomach groans again, louder this time, he whimpers. Both would
be heard by some classmates near him that are supposed to be silently
reading a chapter of Animal Farm to discuss as a group. Thankfully no one
makes fun of it today because their teacher has stepped out to get some
photocopies and numerous boisterous conversations fill the room during the
last class of the week.
Leaning over to Neville, Megan whispers, "Looks like someone could use some
more pancakes."
"Oh no, I couldn't," Neville starts but gets cut off.
"We're open 'till nine and have to throw out what we don't use. The last
hour is a bore, no one's in past eight. Why don't you swing by then
cutie?"
Cutie? Did this girl just call him cutie? Neville can't suppress a smile.
Even if she's the wrong sex, he just got called cutie! Still his pride
kicks in, "I have money. Don't judge me just yet."
"Neville is it? Cute name for a cute boy...look at you; all the money in
the world couldn't feed that grumbling tummy. Anyways Pancakes, a growing
boy like you can seemingly eat your own weight in food a day and still have
your stomach cry out for more. I never said you don't have money. All I'm
saying is that you can get even more for your money if you swing by later.
It's my nightly special too, seven days a week. Nowadays we only eat
whatever doesn't hold until the next day. Sell it, eat it, or throw it
out."
Neville ignores the pushy girl beside him and pretends to read. When she
returns he asks Mrs. MacLeod a question that he hasn't been able to figure
out any of the three times he's read the book, "If Napoleon is Stalin,
Mr. Frederick is Hitler, and Mr. Pilkington is more or less Winston
Churchill or maybe FDR, who is Mr. Jones? Mussolini?"
"Great question Neville. Napoleon and Snowball removed Jones from the
farm. In terms of allegory and the Russian Revolution, Snowball is Leon
Trotsky, a near equal to Napoleon in the book, Josef Stalin in history.
Both are loyal to Old Major, and his dream."
Completely lost, Aaron Smith gasps, "Who? Some pigs ran a dumb farmer off
his farm and Napoleon's a short dead French dude with nappy hair, a stupid
hat, and his hand caught in his own shirt. Who said anything about
Russians?"
Mrs. MacLeod gives Aaron a sympathetic look and then continues, "Trotsky
was the military hand of Karl Marx, Stalin his political hand. Their
particular brand of communism was known as Marxism. Lenin isn't properly
represented in Animal Farm, being betrayed by a rising Stalin. So then, if
Lenin isn't in the book and Old Major is Marx, and Old Major's dream is to
overthrow the blundering Mr. Jones, can anyone tell us who Jones is?"
No one answers.
"Any guesses if I threw out the name Rasputin?"
Whether she's serious or not is debatable, but the room burst out in
laughter when Laura Murphy states, "I didn't know John Lennon sang that
song!"
"Lenin, not Lennon. Different spelling, and John Lennon didn't sing the
song you're thinking of. Anyone? No? Well then class you can thank
Mr. Reilly for changing your 500 word essay I was going to spring on you
for homework today. Your homework for the weekend is to research
Mr. Jones. Just to be nice with finals coming up, 250 words should
suffice."
"250 words? Ugh," Aaron groans.
"Yes, I know. That's more than half a page. An opening statement as to
who in history the Jones family represents. Two teensy-weensy little
paragraphs. One explaining real history and the other explaining how
Orwell's novel reflects to it. Finally a closing statement. Arron, I'll
even count your name as two words."
`Great,' Neville thinks, `Everyone hates me now. Arron is mouthing the
word thanks to me, clearly meaning just the opposite. Maybe it's in my
best interests to miss my first class in two and a half years of high
school Monday afternoon.'
Megan jabs him, "See Pancakes? Dinner tonight just turned into a date.
Winnie the Pooh, the dude with letters for a name, I think you're the only
one in the room who knows those names so you have to fill me in. We can
research big bad Mr. Jones together when you come over to eat."
Neville however is far from happy. He'd usually use the school computers
in the library to do what research he needs to. In fact, he realizes he
should have figured the answer out for himself in the first place during a
lunch break. Now not only has he brought on homework for himself, he's
caused homework for his entire class which won't sit too well, and he's
stuck with a girl that has taken to calling him Pancakes.
How is he going to shower? If he runs to the arena straight away he should
be good. Wait until the boys school hockey team is out on the ice and have
a quick shower. Then again his chances of being caught and questioned
multiply exponentially when there aren't lots of other people at the arena
to blend in with. He thinks he has clean clothes to wear, the boxers he
stole off an out of town kid last week that still smell like detergent, and
he'll just have to risk a new shirt and new jeans. October's long gone he
figures; now should be safe enough to start wearing some clothes he nabbed
then.
And to avoid embarrassment he'll get a hotdog maybe tonight from the
concession and tell Megan he already ate when he gets to the diner.
"What time are you done usually? I can swing by, but not to eat tonight, I
already have plans for dinner with the fam. Or I can just do the
assignment and you can re-write some version of mine over the weekend."
"Nuh-uh. I don't cheat. We all usually eat at the end of the night,
always whatever's going to be waste that day. Not the best selection, but
for now it's how we make ends meet. After dinner with the fam at least
have a snack with us when you come over. Just come to the restaurant,
before close. We live right above it."
"I think I'm busy."
"Stuff it, Pancakes. You're the one that got me my first essay in this new
school. You can be a gentleman and help me with it. I have no friggen
clue who all those book people are that you and Mrs. Mac over there were
talking about."
"I need a new towel," Neville quietly thinks out loud, quite accidentally
as his stomach grumbles again.
"Wow, you must really be hungry to want to eat a towel," Megan laughs.
"No, I think need a towel here to soak up all your tears over our
homework," Neville says, trying to cover his slip up.
What he's really thinking is that he needs a new towel that doesn't smell
to dry off with. Half the time they start off stinking of hockey bags
before he gets a chance to steal them, the other half of the time they're
already used once or twice and smell even worse. Towels are one thing that
washing in the shower doesn't work for; they eat up all the body wash he
can steal and still never seem to come out fresh. He needs a fresh towel.
`I'll bet Josh's towel will at least be clean. I need his towel so I can
shower and smell clean for my date tonight with Megan. Oh yeah, crap.
Josh wants me to see him after school again today. Wonder what he wants
now? Can't he take a hint and let me be?'
[to be continued]